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China objects as US approves military aid to Taiwan under program aimed at sovereign nations

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:02:58 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has approved the first-ever U.S. military transfer to Taiwan under a program generally reserved for assistance to sovereign, independent states.The State Department notified Congress of the sale on Wednesday. It said the material would “be used to strengthen Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities through joint and combined defense capability and enhanced maritime domain awareness and maritime security capability.”The package is modest — only $80 million of what Congress had set aside as a potential $2 billion — but the implications of using the so-called Foreign Military Financing program to provide it infuriated China.Beijing, which regards Taiwan as a renegade province, has repeatedly refused to rule out the use of force to reunite it with the mainland and vociferously protests all U.S. arms sales to the self-governing island.China’s foreign ministry immediately lashed out at the move, calling it a violation of U.S. commitments un...

Prince William school system, education association running out of time in contract negotiations

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:02:58 GMT

This article was written by WTOP’s news partner InsideNoVa.com and republished with permission. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.Time is running out for Prince William County Public Schools to reach a contract agreement with its new employees union, and negotiators from the Prince William Education Association say the school division isn’t showing enough urgency.Under the School Board’s resolution governing the school system’s new collective bargaining process, if the two sides fail to reach agreement on contract items by the end of September, either can declare an impasse and send the negotiations into non-binding arbitration. From there, the arbitrator and the sides will have just two more months to finalize an agreement before all remaining items go to the School Board for final say, an outcome that the union says would drive some teachers out of the county.Bargaining teams from both the association and school division have been meeting on and off since ...

Denver School Board VP shares details of seclusion room investigation

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:02:58 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- A week after voting to uphold the firing of McAuliffe International School Principal Kurt Dennis, Denver Public Schools Board of Education Vice President Auon'tai Anderson shared some of the findings of the district's investigation.According to Anderson, the district learned that there were two rooms used for seclusion at McAuliffe, up from the initial whistleblower report of one. Fired McAuliffe principal looks forward to day in court, attorney says Anderson said that while the board could not find direct evidence of racial bias, all four of the students they talked to who were in the rooms were children of color.The investigation also found that there were items in these rooms that could have been used by the students in them to harm themselves or others, Anderson said.Dennis, the principal whose firing led to this investigation, has hired an attorney and is planning to sue the district for wrongful termination.The board said Dennis was originally fired for shar...

911 calls released after helicopter crash kills BSFR captain, innocent bystander

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:02:58 GMT

Frantic 911 calls captured the horrifying moment as witnesses watched a helicopter burst into flames and plummet into a Pompano Beach apartment complex. The crash would ultimately claim the life of a Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue (BSFR) captain and a bystander sitting in her home. “There’s a helicopter with the whole tail on fire flying over I-95 and Cyprus Creek Blvd,” one caller reported. Another voice in distress described the helicopter. “It’s a helicopter, looks like a medic helicopter, a red one, the whole back end on fire, and it doesn’t look like he’s landing anytime soon,” said another caller. As emergency responders raced to the scene, a distraught caller struggled to pinpoint the exact address of the crash. “I’m not entirely sure, I’m standing at Pompano Beach, just west of the airport — a helicopter just crashed. It went down in a residential area,” they said. The fiery crash had tragic consequ...

Oliver Anthony says he ‘hates’ seeing his song ‘Rich Men North of Richmond’ be ‘weaponized’

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:02:58 GMT

(CNN) — Oliver Anthony is continuing to make his voice heard after becoming an overnight sensation thanks to his viral working-class anthem, “Rich Men North of Richmond.”In a YouTube video shared on Friday, the singer addressed his song having been played at this week’s 2024 Republican presidential primary debate, saying that he found it “funny” because the song “is written about the people on that stage.”“The one thing that has bothered me is seeing people wrap politics up into this,” Anthony said. “It’s aggravating seeing people on conservative news try to identify with me, like I’m one of them. It’s aggravating seeing certain musicians and politicians act like we’re buddies and act like we’re fighting the same struggle here, like that we’re trying to present the same message.”The song, in which Anthony sings about working hard and paying taxes just to “waste (his) life away,” has been embraced by conservatives.Anthony, though, was critical in the video toward both sides...

Miami Beach swears in Wayne Jones as first Black police chief

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:02:58 GMT

A new chief of police was sworn in to serve the City of Miami Beach.Chief Wayne Jones became the city’s 21st chief of police, Thursday. He has been with the department since 1996 and has held every rank from patrol officer to deputy chief.Chief Jones is also Miami Beach’s first Black police chief.

GEM arrives in Perry to assist victims affected by hurricane Idalia

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:02:58 GMT

PERRY, FLA. (WSVN) – Another organization is on the ground in Florida’s Big Bend region to send support to victims affected by Hurricane Idalia. Volunteers stood by as truckloads of supplies arrived in Perry, Thursday morning.The Global Empowerment Mission partnered with an area church to hold a distribution. They say their aid doesn’t end there.“In the coming days and weeks ahead, if folks need things like drywall, mattresses, help with cleaning up, we’ll be ready to assist,” said Patrick Lynch, Chief Development Officer at GEM. “Right now, we’re trying to assess very closely with the state what exactly is needed and where it’s needed.”Volunteers packed up boxes filled with food, toiletries and other essentials families may have lost in the storm.GEM is also preparing another supply truck that’s expected to head to Perry sometime Thursday afternoon.

Counteroffensive critics are ‘spitting into the face’ of our soldiers, Ukraine says

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:02:58 GMT

TOLEDO, Spain — Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Thursday lashed out at those criticizing the slow pace of Ukraine’s counteroffensive, calling on them to keep their mouths shut. “Criticizing the slow pace of counteroffensive equals to spitting into the face of Ukrainian soldier who sacrifices his life every day, moving forward and liberating one kilometer of Ukrainian soil after another,” he told reporters during a break at an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers that he attended in Toledo, Spain.  “I would recommend all critics to shut up. Come to Ukraine and try to liberate one square centimeter by themselves,” he added.Ukraine launched its counteroffensive against Russian troops this past June; but its slow pace has been the focus of international headlines for weeks. Ukraine’s staunchest supporters argue that sluggish progress can be traced back in part to delays among Ukraine’s allies in providing all the necessary equipment and materials to be effectiv...

Cape Lawmakers Making Pitch For Regular Rail Service to Buzzards Bay

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:02:58 GMT

You’ve heard of the soon-to-launch South Coast Rail and the long-sought East-West Rail into the western reaches of the state. But how about what we’ll call the Cape Connector?A group of lawmakers from Cape Cod and the islands want to make their region the next hub for regular passenger rail service, pitching it as a way to relieve locals from crushing traffic congestion and the greenhouse gas emissions that come with it.Rep. Dylan Fernandes of Falmouth and Rep. Kip Diggs of Barnstable filed legislation (HD 4555) that would instruct the MBTA to launch commuter rail service between South Station and Buzzards Bay within one year.That route already accommodates the Cape Flyer, which runs on summer weekends from Boston through Buzzards Bay to stops on the Cape, so supporters believe sufficient infrastructure is already in place.Unlike the Cape Flyer, however, lawmakers behind the bill want to launch an option that would provide more predictable and regular service for the reg...

Biden declares a major disaster in Florida following Hurricane Idalia

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:02:58 GMT

(CNN) — President Joe Biden has formally declared a major disaster in Florida in response to Hurricane Idalia, the White House announced Thursday.“The President’s action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in the counties of Citrus, Dixie, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Suwannee, and Taylor,” the White House said in a statement.Hurricane Idalia made landfall in Florida Wednesday morning as a powerful Category 3 storm and has been downgraded to a tropical storm as it makes its way up the East Coast, causing flooding, significant property damage and power outages across Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.Biden spoke with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis by phone earlier Thursday to inform him of the declaration.“This morning, President Biden called Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to convey that he has signed a Major Disaster Declaration and ordered all available federal resources to help with the continued response to Tropical Storm Idalia,” the White Hous...